Special Assignment
by Huntress79
Summary: Of all the cases and assignments that ever came her way, he definitely likes this one the most. Entry for "The Wedding Bells Challenge" at CCOAC. I chose Aaron Hotchner and got Erin Strauss assigned. AU to Season 8. Enjoy and review!
1. Prologue - The Assignment

Special Assignment

**Summary:** Of all the cases and assignments that ever came her way, he definitely likes this one the most.

**Notes:** Entry for "The Wedding Bells Challenge" at CCOAC. I chose Aaron Hotchner and got Erin Strauss assigned. For the prompts I chose "Gold wedding rings, wedding vows, the honeymoon". AU to Season 8, especially the last episodes. Dave and Erin are still together, and one fine day, they have a special assignment for one Aaron Hotchner.

**Additional Note:** Sorry for uploading it a couple of days too late, but my computer practically died on me. I'm still in the process of getting back everything *crosses fingers*, so the next chapter might take some time. I have the story plotted out, but I can't write it until I have Microsoft Office back up and running. Enjoy and review!

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_Prologue – The Assignment_

* * *

It was an early Monday morning in April. Normally, Aaron Hotchner, SAIC with the BAU, wouldn't be seen at the office until 8.15, but "thanks" to a bulk of out-of-town cases, he was so behind on paperwork that he had to come in early to get at least a part of it done, preferably undisturbed. When he entered the bullpen at a few minutes to 6.45, most of the building was still shrouded in silence. Sure, he saw a couple of cars down in the garage, but none of them looked familiar. Walking up and entering his office, he couldn't help but groan when his sight fell on the stack of files, overtowering the space on his desk next to his computer. "Alright, Aaron", he said to himself, "time to get on your ass and some work done."

More than an hour later found Aaron feeling like drowning. Though he was known to be the one with the best mind next to Spencer within the team, he really had to think hard to remember everything for some cases. He was so engrossed in reading the report of one of his teammates that he didn't realize that he had been watched. At least not until said watcher cleared her throat.

"Chief Strauss, there's anything I can do for you?"

The woman made her way over from her place in the doorway to his desk, sitting down in one of the chairs. Right the minute when Aaron wanted to ask her if he should close the door, David Rossi strode in, closing said door.

"Dave…"

Aaron didn't come any further, since his elder colleague held up a hand as he took place in the second chair in front of Aaron's desk.

"There's a reason why I'm here too, Aaron. Just promise me that you will let us speak uninterrupted."

Aaron just nodded, suddenly feeling like the young boy who just got muted by his own father all over again. The profiler part of his brain couldn't help but to start working overtime. What was going on? Why would both Erin and Dave come to him, together nonetheless, for a private conversation? Sure, he had heard the office gossip of them being together again, but from own experience he knew that there was next to no truth within this gossip. With a short nod, he indicated them two to explain their presence.

"Aaron, you might have heard a rumor or two about me and Dave."

If he was surprised to hear Erin calling him by his first name, he didn't let it show.

"Maybe, but you", he looked at Dave, "should know me better to know that I don't really pay attention to rumors."

"Well, they are true. Dave and I are back together. And we will take it to the next level."

"Okay", this time Aaron looked from Dave to Erin and back, "since we are all adults here, I guess it's not about the physical level." He shuddered oh so slightly, as if to prevent the images and thoughts about his colleagues in certain situations from creeping in the back of his mind. Dave and Erin chuckled softly, which brought Aaron out of his reverie.

"No, Aaron, what Erin and I are talking about is marriage." Dave paused, taking in the response of his friend, which consisted of a pair of raised eyebrows and a twinkle in the dark brown eyes.

"Congratulations, but how do I fit in?"

"Didn't you promise not to interrupt us?" Erin had to bit her tongue upon seeing the light shade of crimson creeping up Aaron's neck.

"Guess I did. Okay, I shut up from here on." To drive his point home, Aaron leant back into his chair.

"Good. As we said, Dave and I are getting married. And we want you not only as the best man for Dave, but also as the one who's giving me away."

For several seconds (to Dave and Erin it felt like a little eternity), the office was dead silent, the soft humming of the computer's CPU the only sound.

"You're sure about that?" Dave was about to answer, but was stopped by one of Aaron's hand. "I'm not asking you, Dave. Given our "history", Erin, are you really sure?"

"Yes, Aaron, I am. All those years, I only saw you as a threat to my position, as the one who will drive all my efforts, my whole career in the ground. But then Foyet came, and step by step, I began to see the "real" Aaron Hotchner. The family man, the doting father, and most of all, the one agent who could keep the team of misfits this BAU team really is together. I apologize for being blind for so long, but if there's one thing I've learned over the last few years, it's that people can change, can forgive mistakes from the past. Please, Aaron…"

Aaron stopped her by getting up, walking around the desk and putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Erin, Dave, I would be honored to have such a pivotal part on your road to happiness."

This was all it took for both of them leaping out of their seats and embracing the younger man. What the trio didn't know was that a few meters away, in the conference room, one Penelope Garcia dabbed her eyes at the scenery playing out in front of her. She was the only one so far to know about the upcoming wedding, which already made her extremely happy, but seeing her boss embracing the woman who was his biggest enemy for so long, almost caused her heart to overflow with joy. Casting one last glance at the trio, she sashayed back to her lair. There was a wedding to be prepared after all.

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_Next: How to prepare a wedding when Penelope Garcia is your partner in crime..._


	2. Chapter 1 - Boss Man, We Have A Problem

Hi folks, I'm back! Yes, I know, it's been some time, but apparently my brain got temporarily fried this summer. Here in Austria, we had temperatures around 40° Celsius for more than four weeks straight, which made it practically impossible to do anything. Expect some more stories in the next time, since I'm intent on catching up and trying to end every open end. Last but not least, thanks to everyone who reviewed and favored this story and/or put it on alert! You rock, guys! And now, on with the show!

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_Chapter 1 - Boss Man, We Have A Problem_

* * *

In general, Aaron Hotchner was hard to surprise, though he had to learn it the hard way, both in private life and job, with painful remainders in body and soul. So if someone wanted to surprise him, he or she either had to go beyond the bounds of their own limits (which some of his team were definitely able to) - or you had the luck to be Penelope Garcia.  
For reasons unknown to Aaron, the bubbly blonde had turned herself into a mystery wrapped in a riddle. Whenever Aaron thought he had figured her out, she did something which got him initially the wrong way most of the time. No wonder that half of the building took to call her "Blonde Hurricane" - you definitely were bound to get changed once you ran into her. She was in every aspect a force to be reckoned with, but Aaron (and as he knew for sure, his whole team) wouldn't want it any other way.  
"Morning, Boss Man!"  
Speaking of her, said blonde hurricane entered his office this moment, for some seconds resembling more a whirl of pink, blue, green and blonde than anything else.  
"Garcia, we got a new case?"  
"As in a case for the team? No." She sat down in one of the chairs in front of his desk, and for the first time, Aaron noticed the stack of papers she held to her chest. And were that some wedding magazines? While she wiggled a bit to get comfortable in the heavy leather chair, Aaron took a deep breath to steel himself. Two days ago, Dave and Erin had announced their upcoming wedding to the rest of the team, and one had to be deaf for not hearing the shriek of joy Penelope uttered when she "officially" got the jobs of both Maid of Honor AND Wedding Planner. He only could guess as what was in store for him in the near future.  
"But as in a case for the Best Man and the Maid of Honor? Definitely." She plucked one sheet of paper out of quite the middle of the stack and laid in front of him.  
"What's that?"  
"A To-Do-List." Their eyes met, and Penelope had to put up all her acting skills as not to laugh out loud, mostly due to the almost comical look of utter surprise with a dash of cluelessness on her boss' face. "Don't tell me this is your first tour as a best man?" He nodded oh so slightly. "Oh. But don't fret, I got you covered. As you might have assumed, I knew about the wedding even before you. Which gave me enough time to call some old friends of mine which have been best man at a wedding. And they all told me that I should make a to-do-list for both you and me. Let's just say I had a hunch or two", she said with a wink.  
"Garcia, I appreciate your efforts, I really do. But I think that's not the only reason you storm my office and close the door behind you, right?" He really tried to give her his sternest look, but as he knew from earlier experiences, it was absolutely fruitless, if the smile on her face was anything to go by.  
"Good guess, Mr. Profiler. Yeah, we have a really big problem. Nah, scratch that, that's almost got the size of a nationwide disaster."  
"And only you and I can prevent it from happen?" Aaron faked a cough, only to cover the grin that threatened to split his face into half. Leave it to Penelope to brighten a day - and to make a mountain out of a molehill.  
"Yep."  
"Care to enlighten me? If it's really that big a problem, we might need some special powers. Which I only can assess if I know what the problem is."  
Now it was his turn to wink slightly, and for the second time this morning, she surprised him, this time with blushing.  
"Okay, it's the location that worries me."  
"As far as I know, they don't want to get married in church, which I'm absolutely okay with. And Dave didn't tell me any other location."  
"Typical Dave. Erin mailed me that they want to have the ceremony in Dave's yard. Ringing any bells?"  
And if it does. When they last came together at Rossi's mansion, they attended the weddding of JJ and Will, but lately, that same marriage was lying in the ropes of life, more ready to give up than anything else. As it seemed to Aaron, the couple still had one major problem: JJ's job with the FBI. It wasn't that Will was absolutely against her having a job, not at all, but what ired him was the constant danger she was exposed with working for the BAU. While Aaron could relate to some of his worries, he knew on the other hand that JJ loved that job and that she was as important for the team as any other of them. Like the rest, she had a special gift, a talent that made her unique in her own way. And that was the ability to talk. It wouldn't matter if her opponent was a traumatized victim, a mourning father, a skeptical police detective, a reporter on the hunt for the story of his life or, as she had proved on numerous occasions, an unsub ready to kill. He hoped that they would find a solution, hopefully one that would allow her to continue to use her talents for the FBI in the future.  
"So, what do you think we should do?"  
"First, we need to find an alternative location, and then we have to convince them to have it there."

* * *

One week, two consultations and a case in upstate New York later, Aaron found himself faced with Penelope again. Not that he would mind. And if her whole body language was any indication, she had found the perfect location.  
"You look like had success."  
She practically beamed up at him for her position on his office couch. And if he was honest, he couldn't get enough from that kind of smile, especially after a case ending with the unsub dead and the victim fighting for its life at the hospital.  
"Yes, I had. You got any plans tomorrow?"  
"Next to sleeping at least ten hours straight? No."  
"What about Jack? Messing with your precious family time is the last thing on my mind, believe me."  
"Jack and Jessica are in Boston for the weekend, visiting some friends and family." He could hear her releasing a breath. "And I don't think that Jack would mind to spend some time with his favorite aunt." They both shared a smile. "But don't tell Jessica."  
"Don't worry, my lips are sealed. What about Beth?"  
"What should be about her?"  
"No plans with her either?"  
"No. And before you ask, she and I are no longer together, so she won't be at the wedding too."  
"Sorry to hear that."  
"Believe me when I say that it's for the best of all of us." He looked up, just in time to see her raising a brow. "You know that she works in New York." Penelope nodded, urging him to continue. "And apparently she spends more than just the working hours with her colleague." She uttered a gasp. "And before I lose the last shreds of dignity by giving in to her and doing as she pleases, I told her that it would be the better to end it once and for all."  
For the next few moments, the spacious office was shrouded in silence, the sounds of the bullpen muted by the closed door. Both Aaron and Penelope were lost in thoughts, he apparently more than her, cause when she put her hand over his clasped ones, it took all his willpower not to jump up.  
"Don't worry, Hotch, I still believe in that you will find the right woman one day. Just don't give up, okay?"  
"Okay. Thanks, Penelope." Once again, they shared a smile. "Back to the wedding. I take it that you want to show me the location?"  
"Yep. I already talked to the official responsible for it, and he told me that we need to reserve it, since it is pretty popular for weddings."  
"Alright. Is 9 o'clock okay for you?"  
"In the morning?"  
"Of course."  
"No, that's absolutely perfect."  
"Okay, I'll pick you up, we can grab a bit of breakfast somewhere before we head over."  
They both got up, and with a "see you tomorrow", the team's favorite tech agent was out of the office. Aaron went to his desk, not able to keep his head from shaking slightly at her antics.  
"What's up with you and Garcia?"  
Aaron had definitely no intention to do anything even slightly related to paperwork that afternoon, so he was just readjusting the file stacks at his desk when Dave's voice came from the door.  
"As if you wouldn't know it."  
"What? That you and her are key elements for the wedding?" The seasoned profiler ambled over to the desk, sitting down in front of it while Aaron nodded. "Yeah, that I'm aware of. What keeps me wondering is the increase in times I see her coming out of your office."  
"You keeping tabs of her?" Aaron asked with a raised eyebrow.  
"No, not at all. I'm just a keen observer, that's all."  
"Yeah, you keep telling that yourself."

* * *

Saturday came around, and after sleeping exactly ten hours straight, Aaron got up at a quarter to eight. For once, he did everything in a slight more leisurely pace. After showering, he got dressed, choosing a light blue jeans and a dark green shirt, before driving the short distance to her apartment block, where she already was waiting for him at the steps. And once again, you would have to be blind to miss her. Dressed in a bright blue sleeveless dress, combined with fitting pumps and hairband, she resembled a beacon you couldn't - and wouldn't - miss.  
"Morning, boss."  
"Hotch. Or Aaron."  
"What?"  
"We're meeting outside the office. Which means I'm not the boss today, I'm just Aaron. Got it?"  
"Alright... Aaron. Ready to take off?"  
"As ready as I'm gonna be."  
After a short stop at a diner on the way, they drove almost to the other side of the town. She directed him to the garden, of which he hadn't heard before. But as soon as he stepped out of the car, his breath was caught inside of him. For an instant, he felt remembered of the big old plantation gardens he had seen in the homestead of his mother's family. Right from the entrance on, big, old magnolia and cherry trees bordered a pathway, leading all the way up to the small pavillion up on the hill, which Aaron guessed was quite the middle of the park.  
"So, what do you say?"  
"Pen, you surpassed yourself once again." Like yesterday, she beamed at him at hearing his praise, but Aaron also saw a hint of surprise in her eyes, probably due to the fact that he had called her with her given name rather than with "Garcia". But as he had said to her earlier, they were outside the office, and the private Aaron Hotchner had all rights to call her "Penelope", or any variations of that. They were friends, after all, and if he was honest to himself for a change, he wouldn't mind to be more than that for her.  
They went on, and all his senses were suddenly quite overwhelmed by the "assault" his surroundings rained down on him. The air was heavy with a wide range of scents, he could hear a whole choir of birds singing in the trees, and the heaps of blossoms all around reminded him of the ever-going circle of life.  
"You must be Penelope."  
The voice caused Aaron to snap out of his daydreaming, and he was faced with a quite amused elderly man, an expression that mirrored on Penelope's face.  
"Sorry for not noticing you right away, but this", he moved his arm in a circle-like motion, "this is just overwhelming. And absolutely beautiful."  
"Oh I know. Almost everyone who comes here for the first time experiences the same, no matter which season we have. That's we call it "The Magical Garden". I'm Minister Kent by the way."  
"Aaron Hotchner, nice to meet you."  
The two men shook hands, and the minister turned to walk the rest of the way up to the pavillon.  
"Please, follow me, we can talk about details in the pavillion."  
Aaron and Penelope did as told, and sooner than later, the three of them were discussing the details. A young colleague of Minister Kent brought them a tray with drinks, but most of the time, it was down to them.  
Two hours later, which went way too fast for Aaron's liking, they had secured the date and the minister himself to head the ceremony, along with a whole bunch of details Aaron never would have thought of being necessary for a wedding. All they had to do now was to convince both Dave and Erin to ditch the intial plan of getting married at home for this exceptional location. Easier said than done, that was Aaron sure of.

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_Next: preparations stage 2 - clothes and some more..._


End file.
